Nehemiah 13

Wednesday, February 13, 2019 | Pastor Kevin

How can Nehemiah make such sweeping changes in the city of Jerusalem without backlash or rebellion? His authority is not found in a king or in a position but in the Scriptures. The chapter starts with the Word of God being read to the crowds who were prepared to listen. Nehemiah did not have to make up a bunch of rules; instead, he simply allowed the Bible to reveal right and wrong and then held each person accountable for that truth. Since the people wanted to live in submission to God, they willingly obeyed and took the drastic steps necessary to live inside the boundaries of God's plan. Two truths jump out from this text: are we that committed to living inside of God's will, and do we understand the importance of the truth in our personal lives and in the culture around us? Our words do not always reveal the truth in our hearts. We can say we are committed and then bump up against something that we do not like in Scripture and reject it. We also seem to struggle with just how desperately our world needs Jesus and the truth of His Word. We seem to think that as long as our church preaches the truth, we are good to go, but the people that we work with and see at the grocery store need that truth, as well. What would our nation be like if a majority of people believed the truth of Scripture and tried to live it out in their daily lives? It will never happen if we are not taking the Gospel with us wherever we may go.

Help me, Lord, to make Your Word a priority in my life so that I can live it out everyday. Help me to take the truth with me to work, school, and the grocery store so others can see and hear it and choose to change.